PULP Scription: A DSL for Mobile HTML5 Game Applications

PULP is a domain-specific language (DSL) designed to simplify the development of interactive HTML5 mobile applications, specifically targeting educational games for children aged 3–7. The primary objective is to bridge the gap between content designers and the technical requirements of modern mobile development. By abstracting complex programming tasks—such as asynchronous JavaScript, state machine management, and cross-platform media handling—the language enables designers to create functional prototypes using a simplified, text-based syntax that mirrors their existing creative workflows.

The language architecture centers on defining screens, screen objects, and action chains. Designers use absolute positioning and z-index layering to structure the visual interface, while action chains allow for the definition of complex interaction patterns, including touch gestures and sequential triggers. The accompanying toolset, built on the Eclipse platform using Xtext and Xtend, automatically transforms these scripts into functional HTML5 and JavaScript artifacts. This model-to-text generation process allows for rapid iteration, enabling developers to test prototypes directly in web browsers across various mobile platforms without writing device-specific code.

An informal evaluation involving content authors demonstrated that users could learn the language and modify interaction logic within approximately one hour. Participants successfully transitioned from basic script modifications to creating original content, suggesting that the DSL effectively lowers the barrier to entry for non-programmers. While the current implementation focuses on simple educational games, the research concludes that such formal modeling tools are viable for the design domain. Future development aims to refine the language syntax, improve visual positioning capabilities, and integrate advanced gesture support to accommodate more complex user interface requirements.